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Global threat to health from ‘chemical intensification’

A recent report by the UN Environment Program (UNEP) warns of the potential damage to health and to the environment caused by emerging economies in developing nations that are built on ‘chemical intensification’.

Between now and 2020 chemical production in North America and Europe is expected to grow by about 25%. Compare this to growth of about 50% in the Asia-Pacific region, 40% in Africa and the Middle East, and 33% in Latin America.

In these countries legal safeguards relating to the production, sale and use of toxic chemicals are even weaker than they are in the West.

Of the more than 140,000 chemicals on the market today, only a fraction have been thoroughly evaluated to determine their effects on health and the environment.

And yet, rather than insisting on tightening regulations and improving safety in our own countries we are simply shifting the problems of yet another dirty industry several thousand miles away onto people who cannot defend themselves and whose health is likely to be even more compromised than our own by these exposures.

What particularly caught my eye was the estimated potential cost of pesticide-related illnesses in sub-Saharan African between 2015 and 2020: $90 billion (£55.4 bn).

Let’s put that in perspective. That’s more than the total amount of Overseas Development Aid (ODA) sent to that same part of the world.

How much more? In 2011 ODA to sub-Saharan Africa was around $17.8 billion (£11 bn) according to the 2012 Data Report from One.

Assuming that figure follows its pattern of increasing by around $1 billion per year we will be spending THREE AND A HALF TIMES what we spend on international aid for basic health services for the region, excluding HIV/AIDS, just on treating pesticide-related illness.

If ever here was a good argument for a switch to organic farming this is it. Though, of course, you could throw in the fact that studies show that in areas like Sub-Saharan Africa organic farming increases yield by around 50%. More and better food translates into more widespread and better health.

Do we really want to feed the world? If so let’s stop all the dithering, naval gazing, celebrity theme song writing, money wasting and government pandering to chemical and biotech companies and return some organic sanity to our farming systems as quickly as possible.

Pat Thomas, Editor